ezpz Trail Mix

As an
avid hiker, I have been making my own yummy trail mix for years. I started
bringing it to feeding therapy and found it to be a huge success with my pediatric clients.
If you teach kids to make their own trail mix, it nurtures their self-help
skills and increases the chances of them eating this healthy snack! With this activity you can inspire them to make different
recipes, learn about new tastes, and discover a ratio of ingredients that will
please their palate. Here are some tips for making an ezpz trail mix!

Same Ingredients: Trail mix is simple to make, and many of the
ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard! It’s also easy to make slight
variations of trail mix for different family members. You can give dad a bit
more nuts for his mix, mom can have more seeds and the kids may like more candy
and/or cereal.

Simple Formula: Use my 5 Ingredient Formula, which includes: Snack,
Protein, Fruit, Cereal and Sweets. Start
by selecting one ingredient from the first four categories (Snack, Protein,
Fruit, Cereal). Then place 1 cup of each ingredient into a large bowl. Add ¼ cup
from the sweets category and stir. Ta-da! Here are some ingredient ideas so you
can discover YOUR favorite combination:

Substitute: More schools are going ‘nut free’ to protect children with
life threatening nut allergies, so find a nut free trail mix recipe your child loves so
they can have it for a school snack. It’s easy to substitute seeds for
nuts and still get the salty taste
+ powerful protein punch!

Snack Bags: Whether you are making trail mix for a sporting event, road
trip, hike or an after school snack, I recommend making a large batch and
placing the mixture into snack bags. Place them in the pantry for a quick on-the-go snack or for
movie night on the couch.

Serving Size: If you are trying to put a little weight on your kiddo,
trial mix is an ideal snack since it’s high in calories! When making a batch for the entire family, keep
serving sizes to
half of a cup for those watching their calorie intake.

Get
creating and snacking with the kids, and try my 5 Ingredient Formula for your
very own ezpz trail mix. What are some of your trail mix recipes? What protein
do you add to your kid’s snack mix? #trailmix #snacks #seeds #ezpzfun

Photo Credit: Paul Joyner Photo

Save and Share:

Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist & Feeding Specialist for ezpz

Dawn Winkelmann, a.k.a “Ms. Dawn”, has treated thousands of kids across the globe by helping families overcome picky eating stages and food refusals, while adding new foods into their diet. Her high success rate is attributed to Ms. Dawn bringing her education, experience, sense of humor and her favorite feeding products to the family dinner table.

You will find Ms. Dawn’s expert feeding advice to be positive and fun for the entire family! She adapts complicated feeding/swallowing research and makes it practical and easy for parents! Get ready to learn the science behind your favorite feeding products and ways to bring happy family mealtimes back!